REAL ID

The 9/11 Commission found that several hijackers held state driver's licenses and IDs, some obtained fraudulently, and recommended national standards. Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005, signed May 11, 2005, as part of a military spending bill. It sets minimum standards for licenses and ID cards that federal agencies will accept for official purposes, including proof of identity, Social Security number, lawful status, and address, along with security features and secure document storage.

Many states resisted, citing cost, privacy, and states' rights, and some passed laws refusing to comply. Enforcement was delayed repeatedly for nearly two decades until May 7, 2025, when the Transportation Security Administration began requiring a REAL ID-compliant license, usually marked with a star, or another accepted document such as a passport, to board domestic flights. Travelers without one can still fly after extra identity checks, and TSA began charging a fee for those checks in 2026.

All states now issue compliant licenses, though many people still carry older ones. Supporters say the standards make IDs harder to forge and strengthen security. Critics say the law creates a de facto national ID, shares personal data across states, and burdens people who have trouble obtaining birth certificates and other documents. States may still issue non-compliant licenses, including to people without lawful status in some states.